Biography

Jean Dobie Giebel is Associate Dean for Curriculum and Personnel for the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences as Hofstra University. She is also a Professor of Drama, faculty Director, and former Chair of the Department of Drama and Dance. She holds a B.A. in Speech, Communications, and Theater from Baldwin-Wallace University, and an M.F.A in Directing from Indiana University, Bloomington. She has studied professionally with the Original Shakespeare Company with Patrick Tucker, at Riverside Shakespeare Company with Laura Fine and Gus Kaikkonen, and at Playwrights Horizons with E. Katherine Kerr and Melodie Sommers.

Jean began her theatrical career as an actor and has appeared Off-Broadway, Off-Off-Broadway, and in Regional theatre. Favorite roles include Bianca in THE TAMING OF THE SHREW, Honey in WHO’S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOOLF? and Charlotte Corday in MARAT/SADE. She also appeared as a principle in numerous TV commercials and worked as a spokesperson for Mattel, Inc. and Computership, Inc. (SAG-AFTRA)

Jean is a member of the Society of Directors and Choreographers (SDC) and has directed multiple Off and Off-Off Broadway productions including works at Dixon Place, The Mint Theater, Pulse Ensemble Theater, The New 42nd Street Theater, Riverside Shakespeare Company, ATA Chernuchin Theater, The Hudson Guild and the 45th Street Theater. She has developed several new works for the Annual Samuel French Original Short Play Festival as well as the Edinburgh International Fringe Festival and is a member of the Literary Managers and Dramaturgs of the Americas (LMDA). She is also a member of the Dramatists Guild (DG) having written several plays, and is currently developing the full length play CHASING THE RIVER for an Off-Broadway run in fall of 2019

Jean resides on Long Island with her husband, voice-over artist Tim Giebel.